Centro Vinoteca and Gusto Join Growing Number of Restaurants to Drop Wild Edibles
Submitted on Thu, 10/02/2008 - 6:20pm
For Immediate Release:
Brandworkers International
Contact: press (at) brandworkers.org
September 16, 2008
At Centro Vinoteca and Gusto, Philosophy of Creative Fresh Food Includes
Respect for Workers' Rights Along the Supply Chain
Celebrated Italian Restaurants Choose Not to Serve Seafood from Wild
Edibles or its Front Companies
New York, NY- Centro Vinoteca and Gusto, the popular Village restaurants
sought after for their creative Italian specialties, have stopped serving
seafood from wholesaler and retailer, Wild Edibles, Inc. over concern for
workers' rights. Employees have been campaigning for over a year to win respect
for work and family at Wild Edibles.
"Gusto and Cento Vinoteca are proud to support the hard working employees
of Wild Edibles who are striving for change," said George Elkins, Vice President
& Managing Director of Mangia Hospitality Group. "To honor the principles
of dignity and fairness, the
restaurants are no longer serving seafood from Wild Edibles, Inc. or any of
its associated companies."
To avoid taking responsibility for illegally withholding overtime pay, Wild
Edibles owner Richard Martin filed for Chapter 11 protection and began using
several corporate aliases, including Blue Harvest, to operate his wholesale
facility. The company is fully operational as it seeks to work its way out of
bankruptcy. The Wild Edibles workers have vowed to continue the campaign until they win the fairness they are
seeking.
When Wild Edibles workers demanded their overtime pay and respect for the
right to join a union, Martin embarked on a relentless campaign of retaliation
including firing or forcing out twelve of the workers. A federal judge hit Wild
Edibles with an injunction against further retaliation which the company quickly
proceeded to violate. The workers' lawyers have filed a motion asking the judge
to find the company in contempt of court for not respecting the injunction. In
addition, the National Labor Relations Board has issued two complaints against the company for interfering with the workers'
efforts to form a union with the Industrial Workers of the World.
Centro Vinoteca and Gusto join a growing list of top restaurants who have
dropped Wild Edibles over concern for workers' rights. Those restaurants
include Pastis, Union Square Cafe, La Goulue, Mermaid Inn, Giorgione, Sushi
Samba, One if by Land, Two if by Sea,
China Grill, Kittichai, Tavern on the Green, The Kitchen Club, Paloma,
Madison Bistro, and Noho Star.
Brandworkers International is a non-profit organization protecting and
advancing the rights of retail and food employees. The Brandworkers Focus on
the Food Chain initiative promotes the principle that a wholesome food system
must incorporate respect for workers'
rights. Focus on the Food Chain is providing comprehensive support to
twenty-four current and former Wild Edibles employees.